Movable stairway.



P. E. BESSLER.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. ze, 1910.

1,018,232. Panama Feb. 20,1912.

Attorneys.

Witnesses FRANK E. BESSLER, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

IVIOVABLE STAIRWAY.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Application filed November 29, 1910. Serial No. 594,716.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. BnssLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Movable Stairway, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to movable stairways and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a stairway adapted to be used in combination with a trap door with a simple means for moving the stairway with relation to the door, as the said door is opened or closed.

With this object in view the structure includes a trap door with a frame adapted to be applied to a door opening in a Hoor or ceiling, with a series of stair steps slidably mounted upon the said door. A hand rail structure is pivotally mounted upon the series of stair steps and is operated by the said door to be moved to extended or collapsed position as the said door is opened or closed. Adjacent the door opening and between the joists of the building structure is located a shaft upon which cables wind, the said cables being operatively connected with the door and trained over suitable pulleys.

A gravity actuated means is operatively connected with the said shaft to rot-ate the same and wind the said cables thereon.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a building structure showing the movable stairway applied thereto, the parts of the stairway being opened. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of a building structure with the movable stairway applied thereto showing the parts closed. Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive are detail views of various parts of the stairway.

The movable stairway includes a frame 1 applied to the edges of a door opening in a floor or ceiling and to one end of which is hingedly attached a trap door 2. A set of stair steps 3 is slidably mounted upon the door 2 and is limited in its sliding movement by means of stops 4 carried by the said stair steps and said door. Knucklejoint braces 5 are pivotally connected with the door 2 and frame 1 and serve as means for limiting the swinging movement of the door with relation to the frame and holding said door in an open position with relation to the said frame. Posts 6 are pivotally attached tothe side of the series of stair steps 3 and a stop 7 is located upon the side of the series of stair steps 3 in the path of movement of one of the posts 6 and is adapted to limit the swinging movement of the said post. A hand rail 8 pivotally connects the upper ends of t-he said posts 6 and the uppermost post 6 is provided upon its outer side with a longitudinal groove 9 which is adapted to receive a laterally disposed linger 10 carried by an arm 11 mounted upon the door 2. The finger 10 may be provided with a friction roller 12 indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A shaft 13 is journaled for rotation between the floor joists of the building structure and between the ceiling and the floor and cables 14 are arranged to wind upon the said shaft 13. The said cables at their intermediate portions are trained over pulleys 15 journaled at the sides of the frame 1 and the other end of the said cables 14 are connected to the door 2, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The cables 14 are also trained over pulleys 1 6 which are journaled at one end of the frame 1 adjacent the shaft 13. One end of a cable 17 is arranged. tov wind upon the shaft 13 and the other end of the said cable 17 is attached to the upper portion of the sets of sliding stairs 3 after passing over a guiding pulley 18 journaled upon the shaft 13. The intermediate portion of the cable 17 is trained about guiding pulleys 19 and 2() and after passing over the pulley 20 the intermediate portion of the said cable 17 hangs pendant between the walls of the building structure and supports a pulley block 21 to which is attached a weight 22. The cables 14 and 17 are so arranged that when the cable 17 is winding upon the shaft 13 the cables 14 are unwinding therefrom and vice versa.

As the trap-door is being let down the cables 14 are unwound from the shaft 13 and the cable 17 is wound thereon. At this time the steps are not sliding over vthe door, and hence that end of the cable 17 whichv is attached to them is fixed. It follows therefore that the weight 22 must be rising at half speed. Next when the trap-door reaches its inclined position as seen in Fig. 1, the steps run down over it. This draws on that end of the cable 17 which has just been described as being fixed, and would raise the weight with double speed excepting for the fact that at this time the other leg of this cable 17 has become stationary as the trap-door at that time has reached its lowermost point. The fact that the two legs of the cable 17 are looped under the pulley block 21 at the top of the weight, and the further fact that the trap-door is usually not moved at the same time that the steps are moved, permits the use of one weight to counterbalance both.

From the above description it will be seen that when the door 2 is swung in a downward direction the groove 9 at the side of the uppermost post G will receive the finger 12 as the set of stairs 3 is slid longitudinally along the said door 2. This will swing the post 6 into upright position so that the hand rail 8 will be properly raised from the set of stairs 3 and may be used by one ascending or descending the said stairs.

At the time that the door 2 is swung open, the cables 14 are unwound from the shaft 13 and the cable 17 is wound thereon and the weight 22 is lifted, As the set of stair steps 3 is moved in an upward direction along the open door 2 the attached cable 17 and weight 22 will assist in lifting the said set of stair steps. At the same time the finger 12 will move along the slot in the uppermost post 6 and swing the post down so that the hand rail 8 will lie at the upper edge of the side of the set of stair steps 3. At the time that the door 2 is swung in an upward direction to closed position the closing of the same is assisted by the cables which wind upon the shaft 13, as the said shaft is turned by the cable 17 and is unwound from the same by the weight 22 descending.

Fig. S illustrates the structural detail of means for connecting the cable 14 to the panel 2, and Fig. 9 is a similar view of means for connecting the cable 17 to the stairs 3. In Fig. 6 a means is illustrated for holding the shaft against rotation, This means consists of a set screw 23 which passes down through the upper portion of a bearing 24 in which the said shaft 13 is journaled. The upper portion of the screw 23 is non-circular and passes through the floor with its upper end approximately at the same level as the upper surface of the floor. A key 25 is provided with which the said screw 23 may be turned. When the stairs 3 are in their lowered. position the screw 23 may be tightened down on the shaft 13 so that the said shaft will be held stationary, then by slightly raising the lower end of the stairs 3 and slipping the feet 26 down so that their lower ends will rest on the lower floor and by securing the said feet by the wing nuts 27 the stairs are supported in fixed position from their lower ends and most of the weight is taken off of the hinge connections between the stairs and the upper licor. wWhen this has been done the braces 5 may be disconnected from the side pieces of the frame 1, also the cables 14 may be disconnected from the panel 2 and lifted off of the pulleys 15. Then the side pieces 100 of the frame 1 may be swung back upon their hinges 101 thereby increasing the transverse area of the door opening in the floor.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters IJatent is 1. In combination with a hinged door, a set of stair steps slidably mounted thereon, a shaft journaled for rotation adjacent the hinged end of the door, a cable arranged to wind upon said shaft and connected with the door, a second cable arranged at one end to wind upon said shaft in the opposite direction to the first cable, its other end be ing connected with said steps and its center being looped, a weight, and a pulley block attached to the weight and hung in said loops.

2. In combination with a hinged door, a set of stair steps slidably mounted thereon, a shaft journaled for rotation adjacent the hinged end of the door, a cable arranged to wind upon the shaft and connected with the door, a second cable also arranged to wind upon the shaft and connected with the steps, and a weight pendantly supported by the last said mentioned cable.

3. In combination with a hinged door, a set of stair steps arranged to slide upon the same, a shaft journaled for rotation adjacent the hinged end of the door, a pair of cables arranged to wind upon the said shaft and connected with the door, a second cable arranged to wind upon the said shaft in the opposite direction to which said first-mentioned cables wind thereon and between their points of winding, this cable being led thence away from said door and having a pendant loop and its other leg being returned to and guided by said shaft and then connected with the steps, and a weight movably hung in said loop and sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the weight of both the door and the steps.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

`Witnesses EDWIN IV. BRoUsE, MARY E. STROLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

"Washington, D. C. 

